How diabetes got its name
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EmailLearn about where diabetes' name originated, as part of Diabetes Awareness Month.
November is Diabetes Awareness month, and taking time this month to get tested and learn something new about diabetes might turn out to be a real lifesaver for yourself or someone you love.
According to a 2021 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 38.1 million adults have diabetes. That same report ranks diabetes as the eighth leading cause of death. If you are at an increased risk of diabetes or have been diagnosed with prediabetes, there are many lifestyles changes that can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Some of lifestyle changes include increased physical activity, having a balanced healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight. If we look at the origin of the word diabetes, it gives us two important clues for health.
The history of diabetes
Diabetes has been around for centuries. In fact, cases of diabetes can be traced as far back as the ancient Egyptians. In the 1800s, dogs helped people study how the pancreas and lack of the hormone insulin revealed signs of diabetes. In the 1930s, up through the 1970s, society commonly referred to individuals with diabetes as having “sugar,” but the correct medical term for diabetes is "diabetes mellitus." Today, healthcare teams most commonly refer to it as "diabetes." The words “diabetes” and “mellitus” have two very separate meanings. They are, however, linked together and have a meaningful connection.
Mellitus
Mellitus means, “pleasant tasting, like honey.” Ancient Chinese and Japanese physicians noticed dogs were particularly drawn to some people’s urine. When the urine was examined, they found the urine had a sweet taste. What made the urine sweet were high levels of glucose, or sugar. That is how this discovery of sweet urine became part of the name, diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes
The ancient Greek word for diabetes means, “passing though; a large discharge of urine.” The meaning is associated with frequent urination, which is one symptom of diabetes. Both frequent urination and excess sweet glucose levels expelled in our urine can be signs of diabetes.
Having diabetes is anything but sweet
Even though glucose is sweet, there is nothing sweet about having high blood glucose. It is a serious issue facing many people in the United States. If you are glucose intolerant your body may not be able to adequately break down glucose (sugar). Without this natural insulin to break down the foods we eat and turn them into energy for our cells, glucose may build up in your blood. When blood sugar levels are high, what the kidneys cannot get rid of may spill into the urine.
Knowing the origin of diabetes mellitus helps give us a better understanding of symptoms related to the disease: high blood sugar and frequent urination. If you or your loved one have frequent thirst and/or urination you should contact a healthcare provider to be tested for diabetes. Getting tested for diabetes is the only way to know if one has the disease.
Both types of diabetes are highly manageable under the care of a healthcare team. The group of diseases associated with diabetes (type 1 and type 2, gestational and pre-diabetes) is on the rise. Lifestyle, genetics and environmental factors all share a role in your risk for developing diabetes. Diagnosis, care and treatment as well as learning how to be an active self-manager can make living with diabetes a sweet story. For more information on diabetes prevention, diagnosis and care plans visit your health care provider.
To understand the benefits of diabetes self-management and to enroll in a diabetes self-management workshop near you, visit Michigan State University Extension.
